Why Try To Get Out Of Your Box, When You Can Use What's In It?
It’s a beautiful expression, really. Even more so when you think about all that can be categorized under it.
Stay Positive & Ain’t Life Grand?
A leader’s job is to blend two objectives.
That’s it.
Succeed in achieving those two things together and you’ll be the most sought out leader in the world.
Stay Positive & Never Said It Was Easy, Though
There’s far too much internal debating about content, product, GTM, and alike.
At some point (and that point happens far earlier than we ever think), it’s best to put it in front of the target and get feedback.
Of course, the feedback may not be perfect. Perhaps it’s best to get thoughts from 2-3 targets to really round it out. But you don’t need far more than that to validate killing, continuing or simply shipping a project.
Asking the target (not through some formal survey or incentivized email, but on the phone, in person or on a video call) gives you the shield to protect an idea as others intend to share how they think or feel about it (or perhaps when new team members join the project and want to influence it).
“I think this works best” holds no weight against a statement like “I talked to a target prospect and they said this would be strong collateral.”
It’s not perfect, I’ll admit. But perfection isn’t the goal. Alignment and shipping the thing is.
Stay Positive & When Did You Share The Work With The Target Last?
The unpredictability of the sea is what makes it so magical.
The uncertainty is tantalizing; rather, the only thing that is certain is that it will change.
The current shifts. Different animals pop up. And you never know exactly what you’ll see what you’re out at sea.
Most of our projects and jobs and businesses are more like the sea than we acknowledge them as.
In fact, it’s when we try to see them differently than the sea that we get frustrated. When we act like consistency is permanent or tomorrow will be almost exactly like today or the guests we’ll serve next weekend will be the same kind of guests we served last weekend.
Far better to lean in, appreciate, and work with the change.
Stay Positive & Grab A Paddle
Every ingredient that goes into a recipe is a choice. The volume of each ingredient is also a choice. The timing, temperature, and process of adding the ingredient is also a choice.
It’s a choice to make it in your kitchen instead of someone else’s.
It’s a choice to take a taste throughout the process to determine if it’s on track.
In quality management, there’s an optimization model that calls on you to ask why five times and then a how when you’re facing a consequence.
(Why was production off? The canning line broke down. Why did the canning line break down? We weren’t staffed accordingly to prevent it. Why weren’t you staffed accordingly? The manager thought we could make it work? Why did she think it would work? She’s done it before at another establishment. How did she achieve seamless production at the other establishment?)
Every step of that was a choice and the value-add comes from exploring all the choices that resulted in the production being off.
If you’re not getting the results you want then it’s worth evaluating the choices you’re making. All of them. The smaller the better.
Ultimately, the choices are everything.
Stay Positive & The Controllable Outweighs The Uncontrollable
They can’t connect with you if they don’t know about you.
If you don’t mention your family. If you don’t wear your favorite Hawaiian button ups. If you don’t use a clear glass to drink your matcha tea while on camera.
The way to start connecting with more people is to become more connectable.
Stay Positive & Flaunt It
Despite common belief, there are two options to choose to act on when you find yourself overwhelmed.
The first is the obvious: do less. Cancel plans. Opt out. Rescind your offer to participate. Dial things back.
The second is less obvious: do more. Make more plans. Opt in. Offer to participate in more. Dial things up.
The first choice is a matter of one step forward and one step back. It’s a fair way to stay in one place if that’s your goal.
The second is a matter of two steps forward and one step back. It’s a fair way to move forward.
It’s all about managing the narrative of what overwhelmed means to us. It’s easy to reflect your present state and realize that you can handle far more than you were able to handle five years ago, right? It’s only the narrative of being overwhelmed we tell ourselves that will decide whether or not we will get to say the same thing in another five years.
One step forward and one step back is no way to dance.
Stay Positive & Find Another Sign Up Sheet First
